The Jem'Hadar (episode)
On a camping trip in the Gamma Quadrant, Sisko, Jake, Nog, and Quark encounter the ruthless soldiers of the Dominion, the Jem'Hadar. Summary Teaser Jake Sisko brushes a small plant as Benjamin Sisko enters the room. He tells his father he is growing Bajoran katterpods for a science project to see which hybrid yields the largest root. "That's it? You're just going to watch them grow?" Benjamin asks. Jake seems content with the project, but Benjamin thinks he can find something more challenging and asks what Jake would do if he could choose any science project he wanted. After thinking it over for a second, Jake says he would learn how to pilot a runabout. As that would not be a science project, Benjamin asks for his second choice and Jake suggests he would visit the Gamma Quadrant to conduct a planetary survey. "All right, let's do it," Sisko declares, calling the proposed trip a working vacation. As Kira reviews the arrival roster for Sisko, she suggests he visit New Bajor while in the Gamma Quadrant, as she has heard the new irrigation system is impressive. He tells her he hopes to spend time alone with Jake and notes with amusement that he will miss a reunion between Jadzia Dax and a rival of hers, Captain Keogh. When she mentions that Keogh is arrogant, Sisko notes that Keogh said the same of her. Jake enters and announces that he has invited Nog to come along on their trip, at which point Dax and Kira sense the awkwardness of the moment and leave. Sisko reminds Jake that the two of them were supposed to spend time together, but Jake says Nog plans to drop out of school if he fails the project. Reluctantly, Sisko agrees to let Nog come along. In Quark's bar, the Ferengi notes that Morn has been glumly sitting with the same drink all day and asks him to talk about whatever is bothering him. "I'm not just your bartender — I'm your friend. Whatever it is that's wrong, I'm here for you." However, Odo walks by as Morn is about to speak and Quark immediately loses interest. He anxiously follows Odo and inquires about Sisko's response to a request that he use the station's monitors to sell merchandise. Odo informs him it is a firm "no," and as Quark wonders why, Odo suggests that perhaps Sisko does not like him. Quark dismisses the idea. He asks if there is any way to change Sisko's mind, to which Odo simply laughs and walks away. Nog interrupts his uncle's scheming to announce that he will be unable to work for the next few days. Upon hearing about the trip with Sisko and Jake, Quark grins and puts his arm around Nog. Act One As he and Jake enter the cockpit of the runabout, Nog eagerly asks how to fire the phasers. Jake begins to worry, but Nog reassures him it was a joke. Sisko suggests that the two of them go in back and store their luggage and Nog volunteers to take Jake's for him. Once Nog is gone, Sisko gives Jake a stern look, but he assures his father it was a joke and tells him he will hardly know Nog is along. However, Quark enters the cabin and asks where he should put his bag, surprising Jake and his father as well as Nog. Quark declares that Nog needs proper supervision, explaining innocently that Rom does not trust "hew-mons" and requested he go along. Although Sisko obviously does not like the idea, he agrees at Jake's request. In the Gamma Quadrant, the motley crew visits an M-class planet similar to Earth, with lots of vegetation, fish, and insects but no large animals or predators. Sisko describes the planet as Paradise but Quark fails to see the beauty of it and describes what he sees in two words: exploitable resources. He claims to have an allergic reaction to nature, although he declines an invitation to sleep on the runabout as he supposedly wants to get to know Sisko better. Later, once Quark puts ointment on his earlobes and begins to feel better, he comments on how there is nothing like facing the wilderness to bring people closer; Sisko immediately tells him the answer is no. Quark dispenses with the flattery and claims that with access to the station's monitors he could offer "collectibles" such as Andorian jewelry, Bolian crystalsteel, and Vulcan Idic pins at a significant discount. He even offers to donate 2% of his net profits to the Bajoran fund for orphans but realizes he wasted his time in coming on along. Jake and Nog begin their survey and conclude that the planet's atmosphere is 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 2% carbon dioxide. They find traces of various elements in the water and inform Sisko that they plan to check other water sources, but Sisko suggests taking a break until tomorrow as he is about to cook dinner. Jake immediately knows what his father is getting at: jambalaya, which excites him but confuses Nog. Jake is sure Nog will love it, and he is right. As they sit around the campfire eating jambalaya, Jake and Nog both decline a second helping and Nog remarks that he is gaining an appreciation of human food. On the other hand, Quark does not share his sentiments, disgusted by the fact that there is dirt in the sauce and bugs continue to land on his food. A somewhat confused Sisko says he was under the impression Ferengi liked eating bugs, but Quark corrects him: only certain Ferengi bugs. Talking in private, Sisko tells Jake to get some sleep because tomorrow will be another big day. The two of them reminisce about a camping trip on Itamish III when Jake's mother was still alive. Jake says he cannot remember a time when the three of them were happier, reminding Sisko of how much he misses his late wife. Despite the rocky start their trip has had, they are both glad to have the opportunity to spend time together. When Sisko suggests that they do so more often, Jake says he'll be ready and jokingly adds that Nog will be too; as the two of them laugh, their momentary peace is interrupted by a loud cry from Quark. The sleeve of Quark's shirt is on fire and he waves it around in a panic until Sisko grabs him with a blanket and extinguishes the flame. Once Quark calms down, Sisko asks if he is all right, at which point a frustrated Quark declares he has not been all right since the trip began. Sisko in his frustration takes on a condescending tone and tells Quark to sit down and be quiet. Nog hisses angrily at Quark and storms off into the forest, followed closely by Jake. Quark claims this is Sisko's fault because Nog could not stand to see his uncle insulted. He accuses Sisko of being bigoted toward the Ferengi, which Sisko denies, but when he asks Sisko to name a single Ferengi who Sisko likes, the commander is unable to do so. The two of them bicker until a panicked humanoid female enters the campsite, apparently running from something. Similar to a human in appearance, the alien has elongated ears and a light complexion, but before Quark or Sisko can react, she emits a telekinetic energy discharge that knocks Sisko to the ground. She looks at Quark threateningly but he cowers in fear and tells her not to hurt him. "How many of them are there?" she asks. "Just the two of us," a confused Quark replies. "Not you — the Jem'Hadar." Sisko assures the alien they are not her enemies and she warns them to run. At that moment, several armed reptilian humanoids appear, seemingly out of thin air, and surround them. "It's too late. You're done running," the lead one smirks to the runaway alien. "This has not been a good day," Quark observes. Act Two Traversing the foliage, Jake and Nog return to the campsite to find it deserted and the fire recently extinguished. Nog insists something has happened to their chaperones, suggesting a wild animal attacked them, but Jake reminds him that there are only insects and plants on the planet. "Maybe they were attacked by a vicious tree!" Nog exclaims seriously. Jake dismisses Nog's comment but notes the presence of boot-shaped footprints below them. A visibly shaken Nog wants to beam aboard the runabout to plan their next move, but Jake insists that Quark and his father are in trouble, as he knows his father would not leave without telling him first. They decide to track the adults with their tricorders. Quark, Sisko, and the alien are placed in a large cave, surrounded by a pinkish circle that appears to be emitting a force field. While his companions sit quietly on the ground, Quark wanders around the interior of the circle yelling for help. Sisko tells him to shut up, but he blames their situation on the alien, urging her to tell the Jem'Hadar she has never seen him or Sisko before. As Quark denounces any association with the alien to the surrounding darkness, Sisko stands and again tells him to be quiet; when the Ferengi claims he is entitled to his opinion, Sisko threatens to put his fist in Quark's "opinion." However, Quark informs Sisko that he is incapable of being scared of him, as he is already more scared than he has ever been. Sisko tells Quark he's not helping, to which Quark points out that the alien is doing nothing but sit on the ground. Sisko thinks she is more scared than he or Quark is, although Quark reassures him this is not the case. The two of them sit as Quark begins to calm down, and Sisko observes that their companion has probably been through a lot. They wonder what the boys are doing; Quark is certain that Nog will "find the nearest dark hole and climb in it," but Sisko thinks Jake will search for them. Shifting focus to the force field surrounding them, Sisko reaches toward the pinkish circle but the alien intervenes, informing him that the security barrier is lethal. Sisko thanks her for the warning and comes closer to her, eager to find out how she knew this information. She says everything about the Jem'Hadar is lethal, and on learning that Sisko has never heard of the Jem'Hadar, she seems surprised. Sisko introduces himself, explaining about the Federation and the wormhole. The alien says her name is Eris and she uncertainly shakes Sisko's hand. Introducing Quark somewhat dismissively — the Ferengi returns the favor by simply nodding with a hint of annoyance — Sisko focuses again on the Jem'Hadar. Eris tells him the Jem'Hadar are the most feared soldiers in the Dominion, and upon hearing the Dominion's name, Quark interjects himself into the conversation. He mentions Ferengi efforts over the past year to open trade negotiations with the Dominion, and he seems to doubt Eris's credibility, as he has never heard of the Jem'Hadar in all that time. When Eris says that negotiations with the Dominion are dangerous, Sisko wonders why anyone does business with the Dominion at all. However, doing business is not a choice; the Dominion decides a civilization has something it wants and then takes it, as was the case with Eris's people. Eris tells of how her homeworld, Kurill Prime, was offered entry into the Dominion. When they refused, the Domiion sent in the Jem'Hadar and seized the planet by force. At the time, she was on a freighter, which fled in light of the Dominion invasion. The Jem'Hadar tracked her down because her mother was an outspoken opponent of the Dominion. A telekinetic suppression collar is around Eris's neck, and without it she says she might be able to break through the force field. However, she believes that escape would be impossible even if she did break through, as no one escapes from the Jem'Hadar. Sisko points out the limited number of guards, indicating overconfidence on the Jem'Hadar's part. He attempts to take the device off, believing it is the only thing between them and freedom. Meanwhile, Jake and Nog have aimlessly wandered through the forest for hours when Jake picks up humanoid life signs on his tricorder. They spot the Jem'Hadar camp, and while Jake wants to get a closer look, Nog points out the Jem'Hadar probably will not look any friendlier close up. Act Three Having resumed his attempts to attract attention, Quark continues to yell into the darkness as Sisko and Eris talk. "Hello? I know someone must be listening to me out there." "Whoever's in charge, you're missing a very lucrative opportunity!" "Did I mention I happen to be a very influential friend of the Grand Nagus? Whatever you want for releasing me, he can get it. Just name your price." Eris asks whether they have to take Quark with them if they escape, and as he works, on the suppression collar, Sisko points out that Quark's seemingly useless chatter is in fact serving a purpose. After all, he points out as a Jem'Hadar officer named Talak'talan enters, if there's one thing Quark is good at, it is attracting attention. Quark and Eris stand behind Sisko as Talak'talan deactivates the force field and steps into the circle. He refuses to discuss why they are being held, stating only that "the Founders" do not want them released. Quark intervenes and offers Talak'talan a thousand cases of tulaberry wine; his response is to grab Quark by the chest forcefully, nearly crushing the Ferengi's rib cage. Sisko begins to intervene, but pulling out a phaser, Talak'talan tells him not to bother and throws Quark to the ground. When Sisko demands to speak with the Founders, Eris defiantly claims they do not exist. Talak'talan insists they do and reveals that the Founders created the Dominion. However, he refuses to allow Sisko to speak with them. Looking down at Quark with disdain, Talak'talan says he had hoped the first race he would meet from the other side of "the anomaly" would be the Klingons. Sisko sarcastically apologizes and Talak'talan warns him it is too late for apologies and the Dominion will not allow ships from the Alpha Quadrant to violate its territory. He says he has heard the Klingons are effective warriors and mentions the bat'leth, demonstrating his knowledge about the Alpha Quadrant; when Sisko is not interested in discussing the Klingons, Talak'talan brings up the Cardassians. After asking somewhat rhetorically if Sisko is satisfied with the Federation-Cardassian Treaty, he calls it a "tactical error" on the Federation's part. Sisko asks how he knows all of this, and Talak'talan informs him that the Dominion gains more knowledge every day. He refuses to give the Dominion any information, but Talak'talan says he will not be asking the questions. Asked who will be asking them, he remarks, "I was really hoping to meet a Klingon." Reactivating the force field, he leaves. Jake and Nog beam aboard the runabout and scan the planet's surface for Human and Ferengi life signs. They attempt to beam Quark and Sisko up, but the computer is unable to do so due to what it calls a spatial distortion field. Jake suggests that they fly back to Deep Space 9 to get help and Nog agrees, telling the computer to plot a course back to the station. It asks him to restate the command, so Jake tells it to disengage the autopilot system; however, neither of the boys knows the authorization code. An alarm sounds and a red light flashes as the computer announces that a vessel is approaching, which causes them to panic. "Computer! Evasive maneuvers! Fire phasers! Launch torpedoes! And escape pods!" Nog yells frantically, although the computer is still locked and does not comply. When they tell the computer to display the ship, it disappears, having gone to warp. Left with no other options, Jake says he will have to disengage the autopilot manually. On the station, the [[USS Odyssey|USS Odyssey]] is due to arrive in eight hours when something begins coming through the wormhole. Kira tells Dax to display it on the viewscreen and it is a Jem'Hadar attack ship. They hail and raise the station's shields, but a Jem'Hadar beams into Ops through the shields. O'Brien activates a containment field around the intruder and Kira introduces herself before telling the Jem'Hadar it is "customary" to identify oneself before beaming into someone else's command center. The Jem'Hadar introduces himself as Third Talak'talan of the Jem'Hadar and informs Kira that Commander Sisko has been detained indefinitely. Sisko, he says, will serve as an example to anyone who interferes with the Dominion by coming through the wormhole. Dax defiantly tells him that idle threats will not stop the Federation from exploring the Gamma Quadrant, so he walks through the force field and givers Kira a Bajoran PADD with a list of vessels he says have been destroyed for violating the Dominion's territory. The PADD came from New Bajor, he tells her, adding that they fought well for a "spiritual" people. He beams back aboard his ship and O'Brien attempts unsuccessfully to lock on with a tractor beam as it re-enters the wormhole. Act Four Sisko finally pries the casing on Eris's collar loose to reveal a locking mechanism. She asks what he plans to do if she breaks through the barrier and he tells her he can contact his son and the runabout, inviting her to come back to the Federation with them. When Sisko asks Quark to help him, Quark turns around angrily and tells Sisko he is tired of being ordered around. He claims he has realized why humans dislike Ferengi: They used to be a lot like them. As Quark points out, however, events in Earth history such as slavery, concentration camps, and interstellar wars are far worse than anything committed by the Ferengi; therefore, he claims, the Ferengi are better. With that, he begins to work on the locking mechanism. Sitting on the floor of the runabout surrounded by isolinear chips, Jake and Nog continue to work on the auto-pilot system. Jake claims he watched Chief O'Brien work on the navigational array of the ''Mekong'' a couple of weeks ago, but Nog is skeptical. As they pull out another chip, the computer announces that the warp core will collapse in ten seconds and begins counting down. They are both paralyzed with fear for a second before Jake hurriedly replaces the chip. A burst of inspiration comes to Jake and he searches with his hand for something in the control panel; he removes a small device and the computer tells him the auto-pilot system is offline. The boys are elated until they tell the computer to lay in a course for the wormhole and it again reports that the autopilot system is offline. Sitting in the cockpit, they attempt to fly the runabout themselves. Meanwhile, the Odyssey has arrived at Deep Space 9 and Captain Keogh informs the crew that traffic through the wormhole has been suspended until it can investigate what kind of threat the Jem'Hadar pose. Dax insists that the rmaining runabouts go with him and he notes the lack of combat experience among most of the crew. When Bashir reminds him that they have fought the Maquis before, Keogh tells him he expects the Dominion to have "sharper teeth." Kira points out he needs all the help he can get and Keogh agrees to let them come along. O'Brien reports that he has already begun to retrofit the runabouts with extra banks of photon torpedoes and they will be ready within a few hours; Dax notes that it will take at least that long to offload nonessential personnel from the Odyssey. Walking through a corridor with a Bajoran deputy on one side and a Starfleet one on the other, Odo reviews additional security protocols, which he plans to implement in preparation for a potential Jem'Hadar attack. When he sees Kira approach him, he dismisses the deputies. She reminds him that his duties do not require him to go along on the mission, obviously worried for his safety. He acknowledges this as they walk toward the runabout pads but tells her that someone should be there to look after Quark while the others worry about Sisko. A surprised Kira says she was under the impression he hated Quark. He does, he tells her, but he would rather see Quark in jail than in the hands of the Dominion. Odo believes that they would all miss Quark if something happened to him. "I'd be willing to take that chance," Kira responds. "But not today." The Odyssey, Mekong, and Orinoco travel to the Gamma Quadrant to find it surprisingly void of Jem'Hadar activity. Tachyon scans show up negative, but Keogh notes the Dominion might have cloaking technology. As the other ships search for them, Jake attempts to fly the Rio Grande manually — and, as Nog points out, very slowly. Nog impatiently presses him to go to warp, but Jake is still learning how to fly at impulse; Nog urges him to at least go a little faster and he points out how difficult it is to make manual course corrections without the aide of a computer. In any case, at their current speed Jake estimates it will take them five years to reach DS9. The boys are thrilled when they see the Odyssey and the other runabouts drop out of warp and O'Brien beams aboard the Rio Grande. He reassures Jake that they plan to rescue Sisko. Act Five Picking at the collar around Eris's neck, Quark remarks that the device is very sophisticated and much slimmer than most telepathic suppressors he has seen. Eris complains that he is hurting her, but seconds later he manages to break through the lock and she removes the collar. She tells Sisko and Quark to stand back and disables the force field using the same telepathic attack that she previously used to shock Sisko, prompting a nearby Jem'Hadar to run toward them. Sisko tackles the soldier and manages to take his weapon, shooting him and tossing the weapon to Quark. Stuffing the telepathic suppressor in his pocket, Quark shoots a second Jem'Hadar as it decloaks and attempts to shoot Sisko. The three of them leave the cavern together. The Odyssey and the runabouts assume an attack formation as they detect three Jem'Hadar attack ships on long-range sensors. However, O'Brien informs Keogh that he will have to break formation as half of the runabout's systems are nonfunctional. Keogh tells him to head for the wormhole but gives him ten minutes to try to locate Sisko. The Jem'Hadar ships come within firing range and Keogh orders them to use attack pattern delta, but when they engage the ships, the Jem'Hadar use a phased polaron beam to penetrate the Odyssey''s shields. After rotating through the entire spectrum of shield harmonics, Keogh realizes the shields will be of no use and has his crew divert shield power to the weapon systems. The Jem'Hadar seem intent to focus on the ''Odyssey, despite the Mekong and Orinoco''s attempts to draw fire away from it. Oblivious to the events transpiring around them, Eris, Quark, and Sisko run through the woods looking for Jake and Nog. Quark is out of breath and must rest but Sisko refuses to leave him behind, noting that they would not have escaped from the Jem'Hadar without him. They are transported off the surface as they talk. Once in the runabout, Sisko greets Jake warmly, while Quark grabs Nog's ear and tells him he is never going on a field trip again. As the ''Mekong''s sensor array has been damaged, it is forced to initiate evasive maneuvers, and the Federation forces appear to be losing the dogfight. Fortunately, O'Brien contacts the ''Odyssey to inform them he has rescued Sisko and the others. Keogh tells the runabouts it is time to leave, but as the ships retreat, one of the Jem'Hadar ships makes a direct run toward the Odyssey. Kira and Bashir try to intercept it with no success, but rather than firing a shot, the ship intentionally rams the Odyssey''s warp core, initiating a chain reaction that causes the ''Odyssey to explode. There is a momentary silence, as no one can believe what they have just seen. O'Brien, still stunned, wonders aloud why anyone would ram a retreating vessel. Sisko realizes the unfortunate answer: The Jem'Hadar were sending the Federation a message about the Gamma Quadrant. With the other Jem'Hadar vessels gone, the runabouts solemnly return to the Alpha Quadrant. Quark pulls Sisko aside as everyone else exits the runabout, holding up the telepathic suppressor and telling him they need to talk. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew greets Eris in Ops. She comments on how disorienting it is to think she is on the other side of the galaxy, but Sisko enters, armed, and tells her she will have to get used to it. The rest of the crew backs away from Eris as Sisko approaches her, accompanied by Quark, still holding the collar. Quark explains that he believed there might be a market for the suppressor in the Alpha Quadrant — until he realized the collar was nothing but a sophisticated locking device. Sisko notes that she could have used her telepathic abilities at any time and asks why she did not; as Eris points out, he already knows the answer. The Jem'Hadar wanted Sisko and the others to escape in order to plant Eris as a spy. "Well done, Commander," she replies arrogantly as he hypothesizes. However, she is not a Founder. As Odo moves to arrest Eris, she transports off the station, although to where it is uncertain. As she did not rematerialize on the station and there are no nearby starships, there is no way to track the Vorta. Only one thing is certain: The Dominion will be back. Memorable Quotes "You Federation types are all alike: You talk about tolerance and understanding, but you only practice it toward people who remind you of yourselves. Because you disapprove of ''Ferengi values, you scorn us, distrust us, insult us every chance you get." "''Quark, I don't have to stand here and defend myself." "Tell me, Commander, would you allow your son to marry a Ferengi female?" "I never thought about it!" : - Quark and Sisko "The Dominion will no longer stand by and allow ships from your side to violate our territory." : - Talak'talan "Where did you get this datapad?" "From the Bajoran colony on our side of the anomaly. You should be proud. I hear they fought well for a spiritual people." : - Kira and Talak'talan "The way I see it, hew-mons used to be a lot like Ferengi: greedy, acquisitive, interested only in profit. We're a constant reminder of a part of your past you'd like to forget." "We don't have time for this..." "But you're overlooking something: Hew-mons used to be a lot worse than the Ferengi. Slavery. Concentration camps. Interstellar wars. We have nothing in our past that ''approaches that kind of barbarism. You see? We're nothing like you. We're better. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lock to pick." 'Quark' and 'Sisko' "''We're coming with you." "Are you sure that's wise? Aside from Major Kira and Chief O'Brien, none of you has much combat experience." "We fought the Maquis." "All the Maquis had were a pair of lightly armed shuttlecraft. I expect the Dominion to have sharper teeth." : - Dax, Keogh, and Bashir "We were retreating. There was no need for a suicide run." "They're showing us how far they're willing to go." : - O'Brien and Sisko, after [[The Destruction of the Odyssey|the destruction of the USS Odyssey]] "She'll be back. The question is who she'll bring with her." "If the Dominion comes through the Wormhole, the first battle will be fought here. And I intend to be ready for them." : - Sisko and Kira Background Information * The working title of the episode was "The Dominion." * This episode is the season finale of DS9's second season and features the first appearance of the Jem'Hadar and the Vorta. It also marks the start of the producers' strategy of leaving the audience in suspense and building on events in previous seasons without the use of cliffhangers. This strategy later led the show to take on a serial-like feel and was somewhat controversial among Star Trek fans, some of whom felt that Star Trek was not intended to be shown in this manner. * This was the last episode for which Michael Piller served as the writing supervisor. * Writer/producer Ira Steven Behr admits that mistakes were made in the process of defining the personality and nature of the Vorta. This is most evident in the lack of Eris's telekinetic powers among later Vorta characters. * The trade negotiations to which Quark refers began in the episode "Rules of Acquisition," which was the first episode to mention the Dominion. Behr has said this was an intentional way of hinting at future events in an otherwise inconsequential episode. * The Odyssey was the third Galaxy-class starship destroyed onscreen, following the ''Yamato'' and the ''Enterprise''. (TNG: "Contagion," "Cause and Effect") * Referenced Ferengi Rules of Acquisition: ** #102. Nature decays, but latinum lasts forever. Links and References Guest Stars *Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko *Alan Oppenheimer as Keogh *Aron Eisenberg as Nog *Cress Williams as Talak'talan *Molly Hagan as Eris Co-Starring *Michael Jace as 1st Officer *Sandra Grando as 2nd Officer (credited, but did not appear) References Andorian jewelry; Bajoran wormhole; Bolian crystalsteel; camping; class M; Dominion; Ferengi; First; IDIC; Itamish III; Itamish system; Jem'Hadar; Jem'Hadar attack ship; katterpod; Kurill Prime; ''Mekong'', USS; New Bajor; nitrogen; ''Odyssey'', USS; ''Orinoco'', USS; oxygen; phased polaron beam; ''Rio Grande'', USS; Talak'talan; telekinesis; telekinetic suppression collar; Vorta; water ski. Bibliography * DS9 episode "The Jem'Hadar" * "Deep Space Nine: The Birth of the Dominion and Beyond" (background information) * "The Jem'Hadar" script (minor details) * Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Jem'Hadar at TV.com (background information) Jem'Hadar, The de:Der Plan des Dominion nl:The Jem'Hadar